Ohio State held a press conference Monday to announce the end of the Thad Matta era. What follows is a transcript from that press conference featuring Matta and Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith.
Gene Smith, Ohio State Athletic Director: Thanks Dan and let me thank you all of you for coming here today and allowing us an opportunity to share some news with you. As you all know, Thad and I, at the end of the season, had a sit-down meeting and talked about the goals and objectives that I felt we needed and he felt we needed in order to get our program back to where he built it. During that conversation, it became apparent to me that we probably needed to facilitate a change.
So, Thad and I talked about that, came to mutual understanding that it was time for leadership change in our basketball program. We are in the process of going through that now. We met with the team. Met with the other support people around the program. We'll begin a national search as soon as this is over to find someone that can come in and do what Thad has done for a long time here.
So we feel that we are fortunate to have him as our baseball coach so long and enjoy the great successes that we all had, and you all know about that he brought to this program. He set a standard for us. I want to publicly thank him, and Barb, and his family for all the great work and effort that he has put in to the Ohio state University create – all the young men that he recruited here and provided an opportunity for education, an opportunity to be champions and go on to the next level.
While this might be a surprise to many, I think it is the right thing for our program, at the right time to go about the business of doing a national search immediately. With that, Thad.
Thad Matta: Want to say, I'm thinking about a word – where my emotions are. There's this this great song, that says sometimes the light shines brightly on me. Other times I can barely see. Lately it's occurred to me, what a long, strange trip it has been. Obviously, this has been probably the greatest 13 years of my life.
Looking around here, seeing all these things and what all the guys have been able to accomplish has been awesome. Thinking of my wife wife, my two daughters – they've been with me at the top. And at the bottom. I think from Gene to Dr. Drake to Dr. Gee, to Andy Geiger and buckeye nation, it's been an incredible run. I know how hard the conversation has that we had, but I completely understand it. We mutually agree to do this. I think from so many people I'd like to thank. The 13 years – it's amazing, the friendships. You guys. I've always said for some reason that you have always treated me well. To the Schottenstein staff, everybody in this building. I would like to name them all. My boys downstairs. I have had an incredible time. I think for my coaches, my current coaches, who have had a heck of run of basketball coaches come through here. No doubt about that. To the doctors, starting with Vince O'brien. If Vince wrote a book and told the things that he and I have been through. From Dr. Keating, my neighbor. How may times I pulled up to his house and said, I couldn't move. Dr. Jones. Taking the pills to coach, the pills to stop coaching, the shots before the game. Stuff wears on you. It's been an amazing deal.
Most importantly, I want to think the players. Damn, we have had some good ones. Those other guys that get the job done for you. I'm grateful to them. Thank you.
Reporter: Coach, congratulation and what was an amazing run Ohio state, the career coaching leader here. Just in your mind, what you think the legacy of this time, the lives you've touched, everything that has come out of this beyond wins and losses, what are your thought about the legacy you have here.
Matta: I hope number one, I'm remembered as a really good person. A guy that cared about the university, a guy that cared about his players. I think from that perspective, that is probably what is most important to me. You know, the wins, the losses, those things, they come. We had a stretch here that was probably about a five-year stretch as good as anybody in the country in terms of college basketball. I think the last thing I'm always remembered for is that we always did it the right way. That to me, is something I'm going to hang my hat on – that this program was run the right way.
Reporter: Thad, congratulations. Do you think you're finished coaching or not?
Thad: I'm going to give you the standard answer: never say never. But you know, honestly, my whole focus right now is trying to get healthy. That's all I am concerned about. I think if I were to go back into coaching, it would probably be track, because when the parents want to cuss me out after the game, I can say, this is the time your son ran. I can't help you on that. There were no shots, no touches, anything like that, so it might be track. I don't know. My whole focus is just trying to get my body, where I can continue to be serviceable.
Reporter: Are you hopeful of that with some time away?
Matta: There's no question. I don't think, anybody can truly comprehend what this job, coaching, it does to you. The things – I went through a year where I couldn't walk. I couldn't take my shoes off after a game, I couldn't take my pants off after game. I would have to curl up in a ball just for the media stuff. That's when I said, the stuff I had to go through in terms of being serviceable. But, you know, maybe to a fault, I always fought. And that's what I felt I had to do that for the players.
Reporter: Gene, why the timing on this now?
Smith: Like I said. I felt confident after the season. Once Thad and I sat down we had a good plan going into the summer. Recruiting is a major part of that plan. We weren't winning the battles
in recruiting that I thought we might have a chance to win, as he did. As we started talking about that on Friday, which was three months or so after the meeting we had, just the flow of the conversation brought us to the reality. “Thad, maybe it is time to make the leadership change,” and he agreed. Recruiting as we all know, is the lifeblood of this program. We have some outstanding young men returning. They are awesome, but they needed some help in recruiting. That led me to the conversation, to have a conversation with him. So that's why we did it at this time.
Reporter: Just to make sure I am clear on it. The end of the season, based on what happened on the court, Gene and Thad, thought this was a good situation for Thad, and what has happened in the off-season is what changed things?
Smith: Exactly.
Reporter: Do you agree with that, Thad?
Matta: Absolutely. I think strictly from the standpoint of as Gene and I talked, we've dealt with some major negativity in terms of recruitment, my future, all those things. I have three coaches in there that have never worked harder in the spring, and we are battling some things that we couldn't overcome. As I told gene, you know, the timing is never good for coaching change. I got this job on July 7, 2004 and the July period is a huge deal. I am perfectly fine with it.
Reporter: Gene, when did you first approach Thad about your thoughts there needed to be a change, and Thad, did you initially accept it, or did you have to think about it and did you guys have to negotiate to this point?
Smith: We had touch-base meeting on the schedule to see where we are, which I do with many of my coaches. What we are doing, where we are going, we had that meeting on Friday. It's kind of hard for me to articulate to you how where those meetings go, but we sit and talk about, where are we? It was primarily, obviously about recruiting and Thad and I have such a great relationship and open conversation over time about our program that I just got this feeling as I listened to him that it was time. There was not anything leading up to it. It happened in the moment. We've been doing this for 30 years in dealing with thousands of employees. I have an understanding of behavior, and I can see and sense that maybe it was time. That's when I broached it to him and we had a conversation about it being time, and then we started talking about process and transition. Thad has agreed to help for the search. He's agreed to help onboarding/transition for whoever we hire. So we talked about that. It wasn't a singular conversation. It was the flow of the moment.
Matta: Let me say this from gene or my perspective with Gene, you know, Gene felt everything that I felt along the way. After win or after a loss. I know, it is funny, because it puts it into perspective. He is my boss. But he's also a great friend. Through the thick and through the thin, he has never left my side and for me personally, I could never be more grateful than that, because I am a guy that thrives on friendships, and he has been as good or as great as he can possibly be in terms of my situation and his support. I say that I want this basketball program to win a national championship. I think that—Ive spent 13 years here. This place is home to my family. He knows that. I think that is why we were able to have that type of conversation that we had because he is the man that he has.
Reporter: This is for both of you guys. Two question. Thad, what are you you going to miss the most you think? And Gene, when do you hope to have on new coach?
Matta: That's easy for me. The Thursday morning taping TV show is what I'm going to miss most [laughter]. I don't know. I think – there are so many things. The one thing I told myself is today does not define who I am. Okay? I have some of the greatest memories at this place, you know. What you miss? I think there will be a lot of different things that I am going to miss. Pregame, postgame, press conferences –I don't know what I will do without those [laughter]. I don't know.
When you think about over time, guys that we have brought in and you've watched them grow. People probably don't know, but when I was brought in here, we were at a 20% graduation rate. We are up to, I think,88% right now. To see these guys walk in here and, you know, the one-and-dones that we had, and those guys fulfilling their dreams. The stories are countless. I do want be up here all day, but I could tell stories that make me feel good, just in terms of what we are able to accomplish and I'm very proud of it.
Smith: I don't have a timeline. No time is optimal, but obviously this time is not the best. I need to be sensitive with what I am dealing with in this window of time. I do not have a timeline. I am going to do my best to search to find the right person that fits the Ohio state University. Besides wins and losses, Thad set a culture and how we do things the right way. In basketball, you have to take your time to find that type of person that you know is always going to do it the right way when you're not looking. I am going to take my time and do it right.
Reporter: Who is running the program now?
Smith: Thad has agreed to stay on, and again, we are blessed. We have so many support people around her student athletes. Vince in training, Dave Richardson, we have a lot of people around, and so I feel comfortable that guys will have what they need as they move through summer school and workouts.
Reporter: Quick follow-up. When we say that Thad is stayed on, what does that entail?
Smith: He will help me as I talk to candidates, and as soon as I talk to a candidate, he will talk to them next. We have to be aligned with our conversations, so he'll help me. I may not know a particular thing about a particular candidate, and he will help me find that out. If we have an issue with a current athlete, I'll call Thad, or someone will call Thad and say, ‘Hey, we need to help this particular young person as they go through this particular challenge.’ It's not like a full-time job. I want to draw that line. It's really targeted basically on where we need help.
Reporter: Thad you've talked about the run that you had and doing things right way is the phrase that you used. Is there a point, when you got a little sick of it? The recruiting, everything that goes into it. Does that factor in it all?
Matta: It can beat a guy up. There is no question about that. I think, here's the thing. This is a challenging profession, and I've always said this, if you are not intimately involved in a day-to-day basis, – you're in the meetings, you are in the homes, with the gyms, you are working with the guys. You have no idea some of the things that are the challenges that lie there. And I want to touch again with Gene, because I think one of the greatest lessons I learned in coaching is when I went to Xavier. Skip Prosser helped me transition into that position. While most coaches say, I hope you lose, because I don't want you to do better than me, and I assured Gene that I will do whatever I can to help this program become the program that they wanted it to be.
Reporter: I think the new players arrive today or tomorrow. Who, in the interim, will be running the off-season program? And you said you want to take your time, or are you open the team being coached by someone on the staff on an interim basis next season?
Smith: Next season? I do not anticipate getting there, but anything can happen. Right now, Dave Richardson will be running the strength and conditioning part working with Vince. We have Adam and Saso working around the academic part. Coaches, the assistant coaches are still on staff. They are still employed. They will do their jobs unless they find another job. We still have our staff in place.
Reporter: If you are 100% healthy, would you still be Ohio state's coach?
Matta: Yes. Probably.
Reporter: How did your health impact your ability to coach at the highest level the last couple of years?
Matta: I think it was more of a physical thing than a mental thing. I had to change a lot – in11 days, it will be ten years. Not that I remember the date, but you know, from the standpoint that there has to be a lot of adjustments. That was the decline? No, that was not the decline. We had our heyday when I was in this situation. The run we had. By no stretch am I using that as an excuse for anything. Do I wish it was better? Yeah, I do. Gene probably wishes it was better, but it is just one of those things. I would never make that as an excuse, it is what it is, and I have had to deal with it.
Reporter: Thad, can you talk in more detail about that? As far as his surgery and what had gotten done and when did it get bad for you?
Thad: Ten years is a long time. When you're a coach, you don't have a lot of recollection on that. The foot drop, and I think if any of you had four major back surgeries dating back to when I was 15-years-old at the May Clinic when I was in high school, as my first surgery.
It has been a chronic issue, I think. Gene has come to me gosh, twice-a-year, and he said, is there anything I can do to help you? Is there anything you need to make this more, better for you to do your job? And I am grateful for that. So, it is. He backed me 100% through the deal.
Reporter: You told us in March about the negative recruiting regarding your health that you had to deal with. Has the culture in your time here, has it changed? Is it more difficult now for you or anybody to do things the way you've done and then be successful?
Matta: I think so. Recruiting is so much more challenging. I think I speak for all 350 college basketball coaches that there's no question the landscape has drastically changed just in terms of other things. When I think that, I've always told people this. The easiest recruitment that I've ever had at Ohio state was to guys name Greg Ordon and Mike Conley. They didn't want to be recruited. Great players do not want to be recruited. They looked at a situation and said, can I get what I want out of that and can I give them what they want? When you try to tell people that, hey, you are nuts. Just looking back on that, it has definitely changed. I've tried to explain to recruits, I started two guys in an Elite 8 game to to the Final Four in 2003 at Xavier and neither one of them were top-200 players coming out. It's one of those things that you have to adjust and find a way.
Reporter: Gene, with Thad's hand in his coaching search, does that make it more or less likely that someone from the Matta tree will be ending up taking his position.
Smith: I can't speculate on that. I really can't. I just don't know where we will end up. Anything can happen. We will conduct a national search and all candidates will be vetted.
Matta: Let me get this straight. If the guy comes in here and does great, I was involved. If he doesn't, I had nothing to do with it [laughter].
Reporter: Your opening press conference and the question was how long are you going to be here. Were we right to expect late back then? Was is always the situation that you anticipated – the first line in your bio someday could be Ohio State men's basketball coach?
Matta: On that day, if you would have said that 13 years from now, you are going to be here, I would've said, where do I sign up for that. I would've taken that in a heartbeat. There's no question about that. I think, from everything we have been through – when I came here I was known as a hop-along guy. I was going from place to place to place, and I stated that I wanted to set up roots here and build this program. Hopefully I did a pretty decent job of doing that.
Reporter: For both guys, Gene, you said that you talk to Thad and suggested maybe it's time. Thad, did you consider resigning and were scenarios broached such as you would retire after coaching one more season. And if not, why was that scenario not played out?
Matta: In Gene and my discussion, he threw a lot of things at me. I don't want to speak for him, but I don't think he really wanted to make this move. But after the discussion, we both sort of agreed, that it probably needed to be done. I think from the standpoint that somebody else, for what he wants, he could've be a nice guy, but his job is to run this basketball program. I respect that. There's no doubt in my mind.
Smith: To make sure your question is answered, we did not talk about, hey, can you stay one more year and drive through this thing? I did not do that. It was never part of our conversation. I felt where he was, and I was also quantifiably looking at where we were. From our responsibility and point of view, I felt like it was time.
Reporter: Thad, how hard was it to come to that in that meeting. You're having a talk and it was put on you? How difficult was it?
Matta: I think, the one thing that I've always done a pretty good job of in my life, dating back to 2000. You prepare for that conversation. It's coaching. You know, there are a lot of thoughts that go through your mind, but I say this once again. This university, this program, means so much to me. His friendship means the world to me. I want what's best for the program. If it's not me being here, I understand that. I respect it. It's one of those deals, where you have two types of coaches and you know who they are. I just joined the other side today.
Reporter: Gene, question have. In recent years, there has been some highly publicized guys from the state of Ohio that have gone and played at other places such as the all-American at Duke going into the NBA right now. In your mind, how important is it to get back to Ohio roots? Beginning with 2018, it's an amazing class of players, I know you can't discuss individual players, but how important will be to capitalize on this situation?
Smith: Important. As I said earlier, recruiting is the lifeblood of the program. Thad and I have talked about the next two years at Ohio, and frankly what you look at what he had transitioned to do was to kind of get back to Ohio and the Midwest. So he had started that process. You're exactly right. The next person we attract will have a major focus in Ohio and a 150 to 200-mile radius. So that's very important.
Reporter: Since the season ended, and you been recruiting, what has that been like? What has that been on the recruiting trail the last couple months? What is like trying to turn things around and get things back to where they wear? How do you feel your message was received when you are out there, and what were those battles like the last couple months?
Matta: It's the same thing, year after year. Spring, summer, winter, fall. I don't know. It was challenging, because the situation has occurred throughout the course of the season and after the season. It made it very, very difficult.
Reporter: Can I ask a different question? What is a contract status? Is there any buyout here?
Matta: Thad's contract will be honored. He has three more years remaining and the particulars of how that will be handled are being worked out, but we will honored that contract.
Reporter: Thad, for you personally, is there a feeling right now of relief? Of unfinished business? What's the feeling you have as you step away?
Matta: I'm starting to get some feeling back, because this job makes you numb. People say, what is it like to coach? And I say, when you coach in the Big Ten, you become numb. You have Indiana here and you play a game, and it's like you're going to Michigan State on Tuesday, and after that, we have Wisconsin on Wednesday, so you'd sort of become numb. I'll be perfectly honest with you. Since this has happened, I have done nothing but thought of the good times. That's all I will think about. One thing rest assured, I made enough great memories here to last me.
